Regency Readers: Pride and Prejudice

Join Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy in this 6 week course exploring the pride and prejudice of which they're both guilty! In every class, we will meet together to discuss the chapters we have read prior to class. We will utilize Nearpod to participate in games, quizzes, activities, and virtual field trips that enhance our understanding of the story. Throughout our reading, we will chart the progress of our characters and their journey to overcome their faults of pride and prejudice. We will analyze the perspectives of different characters and practice writing from their points of view. All of this will be done in a fun, collaborative environment.

Schedule:
Class One; Volume I, Chapters 1-8: After an introduction to the Regency Era, learners will discuss their thoughts about the main characters. We will work together to create illustrated trading cards for the characters, listing their strengths and weaknesses. We will discuss the title of the novel and how it ties into the theme of these first few chapters. How are the characters already showing their pride and prejudices?

Class Two; Volume I, Chapters 9-17: We will move into discussing the minor characters of the novel, including the infamous Mr. Collins. Learners will explore how Austen uses Mr. Collins to satirize beliefs of her time, discuss Lizzie's weak spot for Mr. Wickham, and try to see things from Caroline Bingley's perspective.

Class Three; Volume I, Chapter 18-26 through Volume II, Chapter 3: Learners will have the opportunity to debate with each other as we discuss Charlotte Lucas's engagement to Mr. Collins. How does this event affect Lizzie's views of her friend? How is this related to the overall themes of the novel?
 
Class Four; Volume II, Chapters 4-19: After a discussion of the importance and symbolism of letters in the book, learners will practice their letter writing skills as we write a letter from Darcy to a friend about his proposal attempt.

Class Five; Volume III, Chapters 1-7: Learners will be able to virtually visit some grand English homes to get an idea of what Pemberley might have looked like. We will discuss Pemberley as a symbol for Mr. Darcy himself! Then, learners will step into the shoes of several different characters to understand how different people see Mr. Darcy. We will compare that to how Elizabeth felt about him at the beginning of the story and how she feels now.

Class Six; Volume III, Chapters 8-19: In our final class, we will discuss our overall thoughts on the novel. We will summarize what we've read as we chart Elizabeth and Darcy's characters throughout the story. This will lead into discussion of the themes of pride and prejudice. How was each character able to overcome their faults?

By the end of this course, learners will have identified dynamic characters and their changes over time, discussed themes and symbolism from the novel and supported their ideas with evidence from the text, and written several short pieces exploring perspective and point of view. Each class will include learner-led discussion, writing exercises, and fun activities. As this course requires a great deal of reading, there will be no assigned homework throughout the class. Grades are available if requested before the start of the course and will be based on participation during class time.